Drama

Festival Coverage

TIFF 2017: ‘Luk’Luk’I’

Let’s assume that bad things are always happening.  While someone finds enjoyment in life, someone else may be barely hanging on to their reality.  That’s basically the gist of Wayne Wapeemukwa’s debut feature Luk’Luk’I, an obvious stream of consciousness that doesn’t expand beyond that idea.

Festival Coverage

TIFF 2017: ‘Meditation Park’

By: Jessica Goddard Mina Shum’s Meditation Park is an engaging, quirky, and empowering film about the overdue self-actualization of a Vancouver woman (Cheng Pei-pei) in light of the discovery of her husband’s affair.  This thoroughly modern film also expertly highlights the immigrant experience in multicultural Canada, while making clear that the narrative is culturally universal.  There is an exquisite balance of humour and poignancy in the writing, strengthened by an excellent cast.

Reviews

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage will be known as “that movie where the Punisher fights alongside monk Spider-Man”.  By that, I mean Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Jon Bernthal (Netflix’s Daredevil and The Punisher) have starring roles in Brendan Muldowney’s action/drama about a monastery’s dangerous mission.

Reviews

Bushwick

Lucy (Brittany Snow) emerges from a subway ride like any other ordinary day to find that her Brooklyn neighbourhood, Bushwick, is under attack – soldiers are tackling, bombing and shooting the civilians.  People are fighting back, fighting each other, and even looting.  While caught up in the mess, Lucy is saved by an imposing-looking custodian named Stupe (Dave Bautista).  The two make plans to travel to the military extraction point, navigating the chaos and bloodshed as best…

Reviews

Menashe

Menashe acts as both a faithful slice of life of ultra-Orthodox Judaism and an effective character drama from the perspective of a widower.  The resonance is thin though, leaving the audience feeling lukewarm towards Joshua Z Weinstein’s otherwise efficient movie.